All the stars are in alignment for NASCAR through five races of the 2013 season. There have been five different race winners, each manufacturer has picked up at least one victory and there’s been plenty of controversy, everything from safety issues to drivers showing true dislike for each other. Now only if the Easter Bunny arrives in a fire suit and helmet…..

Here are some examples of NASCAR’s good fortune so far this year:

Junior is No. 1

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Behind the wheel of his No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS, Dale Earnhardt Jr. avoided a late-race accident between the leaders to collect a second-place finish at Auto Club Speedway, Round 5 of the 36-race 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Earnhardt and his No. 88 Chevy SS teamare off to a fast start as the schedule swings into full gear. The team has already collected five top-10 finishes in the first five races; the only team to accomplish that feat this year. Earnhardt, Jr. also is now the series point leader with a 12-point advantage over his closest competitor. All that can make it better is if Junior gets a win and he’s running well enough to make that happen.

Stewart is mad

Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is mad and that’s a good thing for the sport. Joey Logano threw a block on Stewart on the final restart of the Cup Series race Sunday at Auto Club Speedway. He didn’t like it. He tried to throw a punch at Logano. ‘Smoke’ is mad and will have two weeks to simmer before getting any satisfaction. He wants a fight.

“I’m just tired of watching these kids whine and then they sit there and act tough when their crew guys get in the middle of it. If NASCAR wants us to let the guys have at it, it shouldn’t be any different than hockey. Let the guys have at it and then when one guy goes to the ground, then it’s over.”

Logano shrugged it off as just another racing incident. “I had to just do what I had to do to get to the front and try to win the race.”

There’s always Danica

Danica Patrick gave NASCAR a boost going into the 2013 season with the sizzling revelation that she was dating fellow Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Both are Cup Series Rookie of the Year candidates. She finished her work at Daytona International Speedway by becoming the first female driver to score a top-10 Cup Series finish.

While the Danicamania hype has slowed, she is quietly getting better on the track. Her race Sunday at California was a good indication. By the end of the race, Patrick’s car had improved enough to turn lap times compared to drivers in the top-15. While Patrick wanted to finish better than 26th and one lap down, she was pleased with the improvements the team made to her car throughout the race.

“We just had a tough Friday and Saturday, and we regrouped for Sunday and put a new setup on the Go Daddy Chevrolet and stayed optimistic,” Patrick said. “The car started off a little bit loose, but once we dialed that in, it was decent. At the end of the race, I really thought it was pretty good. So I felt better at the end of the race than I did in qualifying. We made big improvements. We all want better than 26th and that’s what we had today, and it will be better next time.”